NorthRock Partners LLC Acquires New Holdings in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

NorthRock Partners LLC bought a new position in STERIS plc (NYSE:STE - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 1,117 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock, valued at approximately $230,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in STE. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. raised its stake in STERIS by 30.8% during the fourth quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 10,970 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $2,275,000 after acquiring an additional 2,583 shares during the period. Merit Financial Group LLC bought a new position in shares of STERIS during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $260,000. Blue Trust Inc. raised its position in shares of STERIS by 19.9% during the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,128 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $232,000 after purchasing an additional 187 shares during the period. Entropy Technologies LP bought a new stake in shares of STERIS in the 4th quarter worth approximately $924,000. Finally, Park Avenue Securities LLC boosted its position in STERIS by 5.6% during the 4th quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 2,369 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $487,000 after purchasing an additional 126 shares during the period. 94.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Stephens reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $250.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a research report on Thursday, May 15th. Citigroup restated an "outperform" rating on shares of STERIS in a research report on Friday, May 16th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of STERIS from $240.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday. Wall Street Zen raised shares of STERIS from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Needham & Company LLC restated a "hold" rating on shares of STERIS in a research report on Monday, April 7th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $264.00.

STERIS Price Performance

STERIS stock traded down $2.72 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $243.61. The company's stock had a trading volume of 540,889 shares, compared to its average volume of 543,669. The stock has a market capitalization of $23.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.72 and a beta of 0.96. STERIS plc has a twelve month low of $200.98 and a twelve month high of $252.79. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $225.64 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $219.88. The company has a quick ratio of 1.40, a current ratio of 2.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32.

STERIS (NYSE:STE - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 14th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.74 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.59 by $0.15. The business had revenue of $1.48 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.47 billion. STERIS had a return on equity of 13.91% and a net margin of 8.66%. STERIS's revenue was up 5.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.58 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that STERIS plc will post 9.08 earnings per share for the current year.

STERIS Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 26th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 10th will be paid a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.94%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 10th. STERIS's dividend payout ratio is currently 36.77%.

About STERIS

STERIS plc provides infection prevention products and services worldwide. It operates through four segments: Healthcare, Applied Sterilization Technologies, Life Sciences, and Dental. The Healthcare segment offers cleaning chemistries and sterility assurance products; automated endoscope reprocessing system and tracking products; endoscopy accessories, washers, sterilizers, and other pieces of capital equipment for the operation of a sterile processing department; and equipment used directly in the operating room, including surgical tables, lights, and connectivity solutions, as well as equipment management services.